Odisha CB to probe Anandatma Ashram murder case

After almost one-and-half months of the incident, the state government has ordered a Crime Branch inquiry into the death of a person whose charred body was found on the premises of Anandatma Ashram near Salepur in Odisha’s Cuttack district.

Picture Courtesy: incredibelorissa.com

According to sources, the Home department has issued an order to this effect.

It may be recalled that Anand Atma Baba was arrested a day after the half-burnt body of the youth was discovered from inside the premises of the ashram on September 12.

The local residents had vandalised and set afire the ashram of Anant Atma Baba alias Alok Bisoi after the half-burnt body of Ashok Patra, a resident of Chahapada village near Salepur, was found on the Ashram premises last month.

The self-proclaimed godman, presently lodged in Salepur sub-jail, was arrested a day after the incident based on an FIR filed by the father of the deceased, Prabhat Kumar Patra.

The complainant in his FIR had stated that his son was called to the ashram by the godman.

Ashok, along with three of his friends, had gone to the ashram where the associated beat his son to death and set his body afire in order to destroy evidence, Ashok’s father had alleged.

However, police gave a clean chit to the godman and arrested three persons, Chandra Sekhar Rout alias Tulu (40), Madan Sahu (40) and Pabani Sahu (35) of Chahapada village, who had accompanied Ashok to the Ashram, on murder charges.

Cuttack SP (Rural) Guru Das Kundu had said that it came out during investigaton that Alok was not involved in the murder case.